It's Quite Complicated

Chapter 4

I wake up the next morning and immediately look to my phone beside me on my bed. I go to check it when I realize it is dead. I must of have been too lazy to plug it in before I went to sleep. "Great," I mutter to myself and reach over to my nightstand and plug it in. Deciding to let my phone charge and start my day, I quickly hop out of the bed and head to my bathroom. I stop dead in my tracks after setting both my feet on the ground. I sniff the air. Is that bacon I smell? Suddenly, I recall the previous night before and began to smile. My parents are home and I wouldn't be as lonely in the house as I am when they aren't. Since they would be here and Draiden would be forced to not attend as much parties as when they aren't here, so that he doesn't get into trouble.

With a bit of pep in my step, I walk to my bathroom and brush my hair and teeth. I don't bother to change into anything from the comfort of my pajamas since it is Saturday morning and I didn't plan on doing anything of importance for the day yet. I open my bedroom door and a strong scent of bacon and pancakes waft to my nose. I grin and proceed to walk out of my room and down the stairs to the kitchen and dining room. Getting near, I hear the familar voices and laughter of my parents and Draiden.

I push open the door gently and walk in. My parents look up and Draiden turns around from their spots around the dining room table. I smile to them. "Hey, guys." They all return a smile to me. My mom says, "Good morning, sweetie."

"Morning," I reply back. Draiden picks up a plate stacked with pancakes from the middle of the table and asks, "Hungry?"

I look to the pancakes and glance to the pile of bacon on the table and lick my lips. "Of course."

Draiden hands me a clean plate lying next to his seat and hands it to me. "Thanks." I go to the kitchen island and open the silverware drawer, taking a fork and close it back. I go to the fridge and look for a maple syrup bottle. Finding it, I let the fridge door close behind me and walk over to the table and pull out and chair and sit. I grab a few pieces of bacon and pick up a couple of pancakes. I pour the maple syrup onto my pancakes, before diving into them.

I munch on my breakfast and tune in to what my parents and Draiden are chatting about. I realize they are talking about something with Draiden's upcoming basketball season and how he is hoping that the team makes it to state, not being too interested, I bring my attention to my breakfast.

Then I hear my dad say my name, "So, Leilah how has school and everything else going for you?" Draiden, my mom, and dad's attentions are all on me.

I swallow the food that I was previously chewing. I look between the three of them, all having patient, expecting stares at me. I focus back to my dad and his question. "Great, dad."

They all look between each other, seeming to not be satisfied with my short response. My mom gazes at me quizzically. "How did the audition for that choir event go?" She was talking about the required audition I had to do a couple of weeks previous from today that I did to be able to be apart of the regional high school choir event. Only a select number of individuals that auditioned for it, where able to be in it. My performance was accepted highly by the judges.

I gulp and say, "The judges loved my performance. I got accepted to be apart of it." I tried not to show pride in my voice, because I don't know how they will react.

They all smile happily. Draiden reaches across the table and claps me on the back. "Nice job, Leilah."

My parents each congratulate me. "Thanks," I tell them and proceed back to eating my breakfast. I wanted to smile proudly, but I didn't think it was all that necessary. My parents are more proud of their charismatic and sporty son instead of their brainy, singing daughter. I didn't exactly know if that was true, but it felt like that. I don't play sports, because I don't have a passion or interest for them as much as I do for my studies and singing. I could have stuck with volleyball, which I was good at, but I didn't have the time to balance the schedule for it with keeping up on my studies and the school choir events. Both of my brainy and athletic parents played sports throughout high school, with my father playing basketball and my mom playing softball. They both got scholarships to the same college where they met and realized they had the same dreams, fell in love, graduated and married together, resulting in Draiden and I.